Paphos, Limassol shaken by 3.9 quake

Paphos and Limassol were shaken by an earthquake recording a magnitude of 3.9 on Wednesday morning, with no structural damage or injuries being reported.

It was felt in the southwest of the island, mainly in the districts of Paphos and Limassol.

The Cyprus Geological Survey Department said the earthquake measuring 3.9 on the Richter Scale, occurred at 8:27 am local time in the sea area off the coast of Paphos.

Its epicentre was 16 kilometres southeast of Paphos with a focal depth of 28 km.

No damages were reported, and officials did not issue any coastal or tsunami warnings in the immediate aftermath.

The tremor adds to concerns, as it follows the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey and Syria on 6 February, which claimed the lives of more than 50,000 people.

The killer quake and aftershocks measuring up to 6.3 were felt across the island.

The last time a strong earthquake shook Cyprus was in January 2022, measuring 6.1 magnitude, one of the strongest quakes ever recorded.

It was the biggest earthquake to shake the island since a 6.5 on the Richter scale quake struck Paphos in October 1996, when two people died – the strongest in the previous 100 years.

Cypriot authorities have repeatedly urged people to remain calm but vigilant, noting that the island is in a seismogenic zone where earthquakes are possible at any time.

Cyprus is situated in a secondary earthquake-prone zone.